Panthers’ Tyler Brayton fined $15K for illegal hit
After New York Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi was fined and suspended for tripping Miami Dolphins’ Nolan Carroll, the NFL has fined another player for a sideline hit.
Tyler Brayton, defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, was fined $15,000 for hitting Atlanta Falcons’ Chris Owens when he was out of bounds last week. The fine was imposed on Friday, but was not announced until Sunday.
Brayton will not be suspended or disciplined further because of the fine, a source said.
The Falcons knew about the NFL’s investigation into the hit, but did not comment on any details.
On the same game day, Alosi tripped Carroll, resulting in a $25,000 fine and indefinite suspension from the Jets team.
Brayton was not made available to comment after the Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
"We looked at it and addressed it with the team," Coach John Fox said. "We don't condone it. We don't coach it. Anything other than that, you'll have to ask Tyler. I was made aware that there was a fine involved. We don't announce fines."
A video was shown of the incident when Brayton hit Owens in the head after Owens ran out of bounds. The coach’s film shows Brayton approaching the bench where Owens is talking to another Panthers defender. Brayton then hits Owens in the head with his elbow,
knocking him to the ground.
"I was like 'Wow, that's kind of messed up.' It kind of went unknown, unseen until we saw the film. I've moved on," Owens said.
The incidents were strange, except Alosi’s incident seems to be planned.
At first, Alosi was suspended for the rest of the season. But after admitting that he told five sidelined players to form a wall, which is banned in the NFL, Alosi will not be coming back to the Jets.
Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said that Alosi did not initially say anything about forming a wall when he was fined, and that he admitted so later.
"Over the course of the next couple of days, more information came out that really doesn't sit well with us," Tannenbaum said.
Jets Coach Rex Ryan and special teams coach Mike Westhoff both denied allegations that they ordered the wall, which is a show of force to deter players to run out of bounds on punt returns.
"It caught me off guard," Ryan said.
Panthers’ Jordan Gross said there were no similarities in the Alosi’s incident and Brayton’s.
"He was way deep on the sideline," Gross said of Brayton. "You get fined and you pay your money and you move on. It hasn't really been a big deal around here.”
"Punts are a crazy play. Guys go flying into the sidelines and hit referees with the sticks, plow over coaches. It's just messy. I'm sure that's gone on more than it hasn't. I think it was just coincidental it was on the same week as that tripping thing."
The Panthers will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday December 23 at Heinz Field.
Stay tuned!
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